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Leonardo DiCaprio and orphans in MozambiqueWhen he filmed Blood Diamond in Mozambique, Leonardo DiCaprio worked with 24 orphaned children. Volunteers with African Impact can do the same. They will spend their mornings at a local preschool and most afternoons involved in a number of other exciting community initiatives including language lessons, orphan care, rural home building and sports coaching. Volunteers will make friends for life as they explore this beautiful location on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Click here to learn more about this trip. (Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Natalie Portman helps gorillas in RwandaFrom black swans to mountain gorillas, Natalie Portman trekked into the rainforests of Rwanda to raise awareness of these beautiful giants while making the 2007 documentary Gorillas on the Brink with Jack Hanna. Gorillas share 98% of their genetic make-up with humans and volunteers can get involved with their plight by joining the Peaks Foundation. The organization runs a one-week trip where volunteers climb Rwanda’s highest peak, Karisimbi (an active volcano), in support of the conversation efforts at Virunga National Park. Click here to learn more about this trip. (Rick Prebeg/Animal Planet)

Elton John turns tragedy to triumphSt. Lucia is where celebrities are usually snapped lounging on the beach or private yacht, however this is one of the places where volunteers are needed to help educate the local people about HIV and AIDS. Elton John has seen many of his friend's succumb to this disease and has channeled his grief into fund raising efforts, providing money for research and vital services to those in need. Join African Impact in the impressive setting of the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, as they help the local orphans and raise awareness of HIV and AIDS. Click here to learn more about this trip. (Jody Cortes/WENN.COM) (Jody Cortes/WENN.COM)Mandatory Credit: : Jody Cortes / WENN.com

Danny Glover highlights the dangers of landminesUNICEF has a number of celebrity “goodwill ambassadors” who regularly travel to remote locations to help communities struggling against poverty, AIDS, hunger and natural disasters. Among the many famous faces lending a hand to the organization is actor and activist Danny Glover, who has travelled to Ethiopia to bring awareness to the devastating effects of landmines on children. People interested in volunteering with UNICEF can contact the United Nations Volunteer program. Those with undergraduate degrees and several years of work experience can work with a variety of UN projects in developing countries around the world. Visit the UNV website for more information. (WENN.COM)
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Angelina Jolie fights poverty in CambodiaThis Oscar-winning actress who often graces the “most beautiful woman” list can be found in Cambodia. Whilst filming Tomb Raider, Jolie was touched by the plight of the poor and impoverished. See for yourself the source of Jolie’s inspiration with Globe Aware’s Cambodia Rediscovered program. Even though the tourism trade is blossoming in Cambodia, a large percentage of people still live in poverty. With a street-child problem and an underfunded education and medical system, volunteers will be working on a variety of projects. However, they will still have time however to visit the ancient temples that feature in Jolie’s Tomb Raider movies. Click here to learn more about this trip. (WENN.COM)Mandatory Credit: WENN.com

Ellen DeGeneres says no to animal abuseEllen DeGeneres is passionate about the protection of animals and supports a hospital for animals who have been abused. Volunteers can travel to Thailand with non-profit organization International Student Volunteers and help rehabilitate wild animals so they can be released back into the wild. Mostly working with gibbons (apes), volunteers will be building shelters, researching, and educating day visitors to the facility. Wild gibbon numbers are dropping alarmingly due to illegal hunting and forced captivity. ISV and its volunteers are attempting to turn this around. Click here to learn more about this trip. (RHS/WENN.COM)Mandatory Credit: RHS/WENN.com

Brad Pitt helps to clean upThe actor’s love affair with New Orleans began while he was filming Interview with the Vampire in 1994. After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans this hunky star put his muscles to good use and helped build sustainable buildings in the area. Camps International is crying out for builders, designers, and architects to help with their project in Borneo. On the tiny island of Manatanani, a combination of poor awareness of the impacts of unsustainable fishing practices and the marginalized status of the community drives destruction. Volunteers will be involved in building a sustainable water facility, which will make a huge impact to this community and the environment around it. Click here to learn more about this trip. (Ivan Nikolov/WENN.COM)Mandatory Credit: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com

Kim Kardashian reaches out to the women in HaitiFor someone who’s built a lifesyle brand around her public image, Kim Kardashian also uses her celeb status to benefit others. Kardashian recently travelled to Haiti with mom Kris Jenner in support of the organization We Advance to raise awareness for the continuing efforts to rebuild the country after 2010’s devastating earthquake. Co-founded by actress Maria Bello, We Advance strives to "advance the health, safety and well being of women throughout Haiti," its website explains. Click here to read more about the organization. (FayesVision/WENN.COM)Mandatory Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com

George Clooney and DarfurGeorge Clooney proves that he’s not just the ladies’ man. He’s been recognized for speaking out against the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan and has visited the region personally. He founded Not on Our Watch with co-stars from Ocean’s 11 to keep an eye on violence in Darfur as well as other countries in peril. Among its many humanitarian efforts, the organization has helped provide motorcycle ambulances and improved maternal health care in five states of the Southern Sudan region. Visit Not on Our Watch for more information. (Carrie Devorah/WENN.COM)

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Where celebs ‘voluntour’

Pop queen Madonna has travelled to Haiti to visit humanitarian projects set up by her former husband Sean Penn’s aid organization.

Penn, who split from Madonna in 1989 following four years of marriage, has revealed the singer is currently in Haiti with her son Rocco, visiting projects overseen by the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which he set up after an earthquake devastated the country in 2010.

The actor tells the Associated Press, "She’s here, she’s seeing, she’s made the effort to come here, and I’m thrilled by that… She has a unique platform, and wherever she chooses to bring that to, it’s very well."

The singer has also taken to Instagram to share snaps from her trip. In one photo, she is pictured posing with staff at the new University Hospital in Mirebalais built by public health pioneer Dr. Paul Farmer, and she captions the snap: "In the magnificent hospital Paul Farmer has built in Mirebalais! Revolution of love in Haiti."

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